Kz750 1980 front fork tube top plugs not the same as in the manual!

Hi all,

I have an early KZ75 4-cylinder E1.. The top plug of the front forks looks like the attached photo, same both sides. It had a rubber cover over the top of the fork tube.

In the manual there is a normal hex screw-in plug top with the air valve set into it.

I just have the valves going direct into the fork tube. If you turn the valve with a 10mm wrench, the valve plus the round steel plate below it goes around, but it does not unscrew. The round steel plate is not a tight fit in the tube, it has about 1mm gap all around.

Any ideas on how to get this apart? I read on the forum there may be a spring clip holding the plate in place - no sign of that either side, nor of a groove where it would have gone.

Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Rupert

RupertBear25 wrote: Any ideas on how to get this apart? I read on the forum there may be a spring clip holding the plate in place - no sign of that either side, nor of a groove where it would have gone.

Those don't look like the stock forks. Regardless, you need to push down on the center of that cap to depress it slightly against the spring, then the spring clip in the tube will be visible. Having a second person as a helper is useful on tasks like this.

Thanks Nessism!
Yes there it is!
So non-standard forks, as well as headlamp, front fender, instruments... I wonder which previous owner ran it into what, and how hard?!

R

It's possible someone swapped the entire front end. forks. triple tree. meters. etc. Are the forks center axle or leading axle?
The 550D GPz has an air valve at the top like that & they are the leading axle type. The stock forks are center axle.
For the identification some photos of the forks & meters might help.

The meters were aftermarket, separate chromed tacho and speedo.

Attached photo shows the bottom of the fork, center axle and look like Kawasaki parts. Could be just the stanchion is aftermarket.

[Don't get me started on the brake calipers - could not work out why the bleed nipples were at the bottom of the caliper, hoses coming in at the top. The hoses only fit at that position. Then worked out previous owner had reversed them, left caliper on the right side. They must have seen the Kawasaki logo upside down, so just took the circular stickers off!]

This stanchion does not have the 19mm hex to hold the damper rod, deep down inside it, while undoing the bottom allen screw. Seems it needs some sort of conical square tool to ram in there to hold it ? I've sen it online, may have to make one...

R

An air wrench will remove that lower Allen screw without anything jammed in the fork.

RupertBear25 wrote: .......................This stanchion does not have the 19mm hex to hold the damper rod, deep down inside it, while undoing the bottom allen screw. Seems it needs some sort of conical square tool to ram in there to hold it ? I've sen it online, may have to make one...
R

I had to make such a tool. Even if you somehow get things disassembled you should have some way to hold the fork cylinder so when you reassemble things you can tighten the bolt to the proper torque. Today there are tools available to hold the fork cylinder, but below is what I did because I couldn't find a tool for sale when I did my forks. Ed

I loosen the Allen with the forks assembled then tighten them after they go back together.
Steve

Thanks! I googled for a tool and saw something with a metal square cone that you press into the damper rod to hold it.

I made a tool from wood, but even when hammered into the rod it still just turned, so made the tool in the photo from an 1/4 inch extension bar. I had to tap that into the rod lightly to get it to hold, it did in the end.

Then I expected the seal to be pulled out when the leg was pulled apart, but the chromed stanchion just came out, leaving the seal in the end of the leg. Took ages to winkle it out without damaging the leg. Tapped the seal in with a 35mm socket, but it was just too big, and jammed in the top of the leg. Need to get the grinder out again and take a few mm off the socket outer diameter!

Nearly there...

I made a seal driver from 1-1/2" pvc pipe & fittings. 1981 KZ650-CSR w stock 36mm fork tubes.



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